Ward 1, DA PR Councillor Cary Clark

1. Which ward do you live in and how is your role different from that of the ward councillor?

I live in Ward 1 which is Riebeeck East, Hoogenoeg, Carlisle Bridge, Fort Brown and Douglas Heights. My role is similar to that of a ward councillor except that the ward councillor will be far more involved with the actual operations of the ward, setting up meetings etc.

I will be working closely alongside the ward councillor in an effort to improve things in the ward. We will both attend council and portfolio meetings.

2. Who is your constituency and how do you interact with it?

My constituency is mostly rural and consists mainly of farmers and farm labourers as well as a big group of unemployed people both in Riebeeck East and Hoogenoeg. I interact via email and SMS with many of the farmers, and also do a lot of house visits. I spend a lot of time in the communities getting to know the people personally.

3. As a PR councillor what do you hope to achieve in the next five years?

I have done quite a lot of community work in Riebeeck East and would like to extend this to other areas within my ward. I would like to firstly improve the living conditions of the people who I represent by addressing some really urgent issues like fixing the dam in Riebeeck East, water tanks for all houses, fixing RDP houses to make them more liveable, replacing the bucket toilets, play areas for the children, economic development to stimulate employment, sufficient housing, fixing roads to and within the areas, establishing soup kitchens, getting infrastructure issues attended to and creating beautiful spaces by firstly addressing the refuse problem and then by creating gardens for sustainable food production.

I want to ensure that ECD plays an important role in the community and gets all the support needed to function optimally. I hope to ensure that things are done fairly and honestly and that all people have equal and meaningful opportunities to improve their skills and their lives.